稍稍
shāo shāo · HSK 7
a little
🤏 稍 = grain (禾) + tip; the thin end of a stalk is just a little. Doubled = slightly.
稍 originally named the slender tip of a grain stalk, so it came to mean a tiny amount. Doubling it into 稍稍 softens it further to somewhat or a touch.
稍 — grain 禾 + small 肖
A semantic-phonetic compound. The grain radical 禾 hints at the meaning, while 肖 (xiào) supplies the sound. Originally describing a small tip of grain, 稍 broadened to mean 'tip' or 'slightly,' and is now mostly used as the adverb 'a little, somewhat.'
稍 — grain 禾 + small 肖
A semantic-phonetic compound. The grain radical 禾 hints at the meaning, while 肖 (xiào) supplies the sound. Originally describing a small tip of grain, 稍 broadened to mean 'tip' or 'slightly,' and is now mostly used as the adverb 'a little, somewhat.'